My Research Interests
Explore my diverse research interests, ranging from understanding racial-based trauma experiences in school-aged children to identifying strategies that foster a safer and more welcoming school environment.
01
Experiences of Black Children in Public Schools
My biggest research interest is in the overall experiences of Black students in public schools. I want to know what they like, what they don't like, and how these experiences shape their perceptions of education. I know that many Black students do not enjoy school and I want to explore that more.
02
Exploring Educational Environments for Black Student Success
Inspired by my own experiences, where I lacked sometimes the comfort and empowerment to learn within the DC public school system, I am interested in investigating the experiences of black children in public schools, aiming to pinpoint necessary changes for them to feel comfortable and welcome. My goal is to explore how black students perceive the school environment and whether it fosters comfort and a desire to learn.
03
Community Integration in Education
I strongly believe in the proverb, "It takes a village." Therefore, I am captivated by the idea of the integration of community-based practices and outreach initiatives to enhance academic achievement, behavior, and the sense of belonging among black students. My interest extends to understanding how community involvement influences the educational experiences of black students and evaluating the potential benefits of incorporating community elements into the school framework for holistic student development.
My Projects
1
Cultivating Homeplaces: Transforming Schools to Empower Black Students' Identities
This poster examines how schools can serve as homeplaces—affirming, healing, and empowering spaces—for Black students. It highlights culturally responsive and healing-centered practices that promote belonging, agency, and academic success, with implications for school psychologists, educators, and policymakers. The poster was presented at NASP 2025 in Seattle and is currently included in the NASP Virtual Poster Series.
2
Building Belonging: BLMA's Impact on Black and Latino Students
Under the mentorship of Dr. Amy Nelson Christensen, I conducted statistical analyses for an annual study with the Department of Black & Latino Male Achievement in Milwaukee Public Schools examining an identity-based social-emotional program for Black and Latino male students. Findings demonstrated how culturally affirming programming that builds racial and ethnic pride and addresses internalized oppression can increase students’ sense of school belonging. This project was presented at NASP 2025.
3
Dissertation (In Progress)
My dissertation examines how Black girls experience schools as potential homeplaces—spaces of affirmation, belonging, resistance, and care—within educational contexts that are often experienced as punitive or exclusionary. Grounded in Critical Race Feminism and informed by Black Girlhood Studies and bell hooks’ concept of homeplace, this qualitative study centers Black girls’ voices to explore how school climates, relationships, and practices shape their sense of belonging, agency, and well-being.